The Follower
by ShortSindrome
Summary: Tempestkit is of strong lineage, daughter of Hawkfrost, grandkit of Tigerstar. She is proud. But when her father turns up dead, returned by three ThunderClan cats, she is scarred. Will she ever be able to forgive them, or will Tigerstar's legacy remain?
1. Chapter 1

_Yay, my first story ever! :D_

_Sorry, I'm just so happy! Anyways, I just wanted to say that this was rated T because I do expect it to get a bit gory as in blood and such as I go along, but this first chapter doesn't seem so bad. Please read AND review, and please don't be TOO harsh. Hope you enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Nothing at all.

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"Hawkfrost." Hawkfrost turned at the sound of Mothwing's voice, coming from somewhere behind him. In the deep-red-sunset light, the golden tabby she-cat had the bright hint of scarlet tinged into her fur and her eyes shone in a brilliant golden hue, glittering with crimson.

At the turning of her brother, the smaller, more delicate cat dipped her head and, though her expression was one of pure happiness and joy, Hawkfrost could easily see the undercurrent of uncertainty and fear that made his sister's movements ever slightly jerky as she lowered her head in greeting. Even the flick of her tail-tip held a certain amount of tenseness and Hawkfrost knew that his sister was thinking about him. Him and his secret.

But Hawkfrost would never mention it to her, and, before his littermate could speak, Hawkfrost meowed, rather hurriedly, "Is she alright?"

Mothwing lifted her head, her golden eyes smiling in the dying rays of sunlight. "Of course she is. Willowpaw and I took excellent care of her."

A wave of relief flooded over Hawkfrost and he allowed his eyes to slip shut as he knew that his mate, his beloved, was fine from her ordeal.

A small purr of amusement escaped his sister and a moment later she meowed, "Well, Hawkfrost, don't you want to go meet your kits?"

Hawkfrost opened his eyes, his frosty-blue gaze catching his sister's warm, golden one. In his stare was the glitter of excitement, one that seemed barely controllable. But, realizing how silly he must look, staring wide-eyed at his littermate and medicine cat, the great tabby tom gathered himself together in a heartbeat's time and gave Mothwing a nod. "Of course I would like to see my kits."

Mothwing smiled, waving her tail toward the thick clump of reeds and brambles that indicated the nursery walls. "Go right on in."

Taking not another glance at the golden she-cat, Hawkfrost quickly stepped into the shelter of the nursery walls, feeling the bramble-thorns slide harmlessly through his pelt at his passing. Ducking his head as to not scrape it against the roof, Hawkfrost briefly allowed himself to picture the half-brother that these bramble walls reminded him of. But the image was driven away as the tunnel-like entrance suddenly opened up into a rather large, cave-like area where several moss-and-reed-filled nests lay.

In one corner, a brightly colored tortoiseshell she-cat lay on her side, two small kittens curled up in the curve of her belly. Her blue eyes glowed in the dimness of the den and her breath stirred the moss she lay in as she watched the powerfully-shouldered brown warrior squeeze into the main part of the nursery.

But Hawkfrost barely noticed her. Instead, his gaze fell into the center of the den where three cats were bunched together; two of them crouched while the third lay heavily on her side, her breathing slow and even and her eyes half-closed.

Her pale ears flicking at the sound of heavy paw steps entering the den, a smaller gray she-cat, whom Mothwing had mentioned earlier as Willowpaw, glanced up from the round-bellied queen at her paws and glanced at Hawkfrost who continued to move toward the center of the nursery. Turning and bending down to pick up a bundle of herbs in her jaws, the gray apprentice dipped her head to Hawkfrost and slipped past him on her way out of the den. Hawkfrost took no notice. His attention was all for the queen in the center of the den, three tiny bundles of soft fur curled up against her dark gray belly.

The other cat, who still crouched over the gray queen, nodded her head to Hawkfrost and quietly slipped over to the far side of the den where the tortoiseshell still lay. Together, they watched the young father approach his new family.

Hawkfrost was now standing over the gray she-cat, his ice-blue eyes brimming with pride as he set his eyes first upon his kits, then resting his gaze on their mother.

Truly wishing he did not have to disturb her, bust also desperately wanting to know how she was feeling, Hawkfrost leaned down close to the gray cat's head and mewed softly, "Duskface."

"Hawkfrost?" The she-cat's voice sounded slightly groggy, as if she were tired. But all the same she lifted her head at her name and blinked her bright amber eyes at the dark face of her mate.

He smiled back at her, a purr beginning to throb in his throat. "How are you feeling?"

Duskface blinked slowly at him, casting a beaming expression his way. "I'm feeling quite alright, now that you're here." Hawkfrost's purr deepened.

Duskface, now here eyes wide and bright, being careful to not move her belly too much, propped herself up on her shoulder, shifting her gaze from Hawkfrost to the three tiny bodies that lay at her belly. Hawkfrost did the same.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Her voice was soft, but it contained all her pride and joy as she stared down at her tiny litter of kits. Hawkfrost, not being able to find his voice, nodded in reply.

Duskface wrapped her body more protectively around her kits as a slight but nippy breeze rushed down the nursery tunnel and one of the kits, a tiny brown tabby tom, shivered with chill.

As her brother shifted beside her, the smallest one and the only she-kit who was a tiny jet-black-pelted kitten, managed to lift her head up and open her tiny mouth to expose two small sets of shining white teeth, and let out a high-pitched squeak of indignation.

Hawkfrost tensed, lifted his haunches off the ground and crouched against the mossy bedding. Excitement coursing through his body, nose to tail-tip, he turned towards

Duskface who watched their daughter with tired satisfaction.

"Did you see?" the great tabby warrior meowed excitedly. "Did you see that?"

Duskface nodded, her amber eyes half-closed but a smile of pride written across her face. "Yes. Yes, I did see."

Hawkfrost turned back to his daughter, blue eyes wide with joy. "Her first little battle-cry," he meowed avidly. "Her first little yowl." He looked back at Duskface who's eyelids had drooped even farther over her eyes. "She'll be a great warrior one day," he vowed. "I can sense it."

His mate just nodded sleepily in reply.

Hawkfrost turned back towards his litter, his eyes resting on his tiny daughter almost squashed between her two larger brothers. "She must have a name," he murmured quietly. "They all must have names. Something that means strong and powerful, untamable, unstoppable-"

"How about tempest?" Hawkfrost glanced at his mate who had forced open her eyes once more to gaze upon her three beautiful kits. Her stare shifted to Hawkfrost who was eyeing her with a puzzled look. "We can call her Tempestkit." Duskface stretched open her jaws wide in a sleepy yawn. "And for the tabby tom, who looks just like you, we can call him Stripedkit. And for the little gray tom, his name can be Stonekit." Again, Duskface let out another tired yawn. "There," she meowed with a final note in her voice. "Stripedkit, Stonekit, and Tempestkit. Those are their names."

Her eyelids now fell across her eyes and her head began to fall toward her outstretched forepaws, but before her head could fall all the way, Hawkfrost stretched out his muzzle to break her fall and lower her head onto her nest, letting her lie with one ear against the moss and one ear stretched towards the ceiling.

Quietly, Hawkfrost drew himself away, letting his ice-blue gaze for a final time fall onto his kits. "Stripedkit, Stonekit, and Tempestkit," he murmured to himself, blinking slowly at the three tiny bundles of fur who's bodies were squashed so close together that their pelt's overlapped one another.

"They will be great warriors one day. Especially Tempestkit." A great, deep voice sounded in Hawkfrost's ear and he turned suddenly, with a small gasp as a faint, but definite form brushed against him, sitting himself beside the identical tabby tom, resting his amber gaze onto the three kits.

Hawkfrost's eyes widened. "Tigerstar!" Quickly, almost fearfully, he looked over the massive tabby's shoulder at the two queens on the far side of the den. To his relief, they were both sound asleep, their quiet breathing reaching his ears.

Tigerstar's still-intact ear flicked. "Don't worry about them; you are the only one who can see me." Hawkfrost didn't answer, just twitched his ear to show that he'd heard.

Tigerstar shifted, letting out a heavy sigh. "Your kits shall become great warriors," he went on, blinking at the three tiny bundles. "They are all healthy and strong."

Hawkfrost nodded, trying to regain himself and following Tigerstar's stare towards the three kits that lay at their sleeping mother's belly.

Tigerstar let out another gusty sigh. "Do you know of your brother Brambleclaw?"

Hawkfrost shifted his weight from forepaw to forepaw, searching for a way to answer. "Do you mean do I know if we can trust him?" he growled.

Tigerstar nodded. "You know, Hawkfrost, that we cannot tell Brambleclaw all of our plans; he must not know what we really plan to do."

Hawkfrost wrinkled his forehead in question. "Then how shall we not tell him? He joins us every night at our gatherings."

Tigerstar let out an irritable hiss, turning on Hawkfrost in a small rage of irritation. "Do you not know how to lie?" he spat, hair rising. "We can easily fool him, all we must do is tell him out basic plans; we must not elaborate or he shall catch on to the truth."

Tigerstar's amber stare narrowed. "Do you wish to _share_ your rule of the lake?"

Hawkfrost flattened his ears. "Of course not."

"How far shall you go to maintain your power?"

Hawkfrost unsheathed his claws, flexing them at the soft moss under his pads. "I'll do whatever it takes."

Tigerstar instantly relaxed, falling back onto his haunches and returning his stare to the three kits before him. Hawkfrost did the same.

"They shall be great warriors," Tigerstar repeated. "They shall follow in your paw prints well." He cast Hawkfrost a amber-eyed glance. "Especially Tempestkit."

Hawkfrost nodded, staring at his kits in determination. "Yes, Tigerstar," he promised. "I'll be sure to make them great warriors."

Tigerstar gave his son a final nod, then his dark fur began to fade, blending in to the bramble walls before disappearing completely, leaving Hawkfrost to remain in the nursery with his three kits.


	2. Chapter 2

_Yay, my second chapter is already up. Probably because I'd already written it, but that's beside the point. R&R, please and thank you. Enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I don't own this.

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"Stripedkit, until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Stripedpaw." Leopardstar paused a moment, her bright amber eyes scanning the crowd of sleek-pelted warriors below her. "Rainstorm, you are a brave, strong warrior, and your time for an apprentice has been long overdue. Therefore, I place the task of mentoring Stripedpaw into your paws." Leopardstar blinked as a mottled gray tomcat picked his way out of the crowd, padding proudly towards the smaller, muscular form of a brown tabby tom that stood before Leopardstar's paws.

The young brown tabby's pelt was spiked in excitement, his bright blue eyes wide with anticipation as his new mentor approached. Rainstorm, after touching his nose briefly to Stripedpaw's, dipped his head low to Leopardstar. "Thank you, Leopardstar; I shall try my best to mentor him well."

Leopardstar tipped her head to one side, flicking her ears in approval. "That is all I ask of you."

Dipping his head once more, Rainstorm twitched his tail at Leopardstar before guiding his new apprentice back into the throng of cats.

Leopardstar now turned to the next kit yet to be named an apprentice: a dark gray tom stood in front of her, his dark ears pricked forward as he waiting for her to speak. Unlike his brother, Stripedpaw, this young cat seemed a little more at ease with his fur lying flat and his deep amber eyes were glimmering, but weren't bulging almost out of his skull.

Leopardstar lifted her head, flicking her tail-tip high. "Stonekit, you are a brave young cat and I someday expect a great warrior out of you. But until that day, you shall be known as Stonepaw. Blackclaw, you have mentored many apprentices, and each time I have been greatly impressed with both the courage and battle skills of which they display. I expect you to pass on all your knowledge and bravery to Stonepaw."

A powerful black tom now emerged from the RiverClan crowd, padding forward with his head held high towards the ever so slightly trembling form of Stonepaw. Lowering his great head, the black tom gently brushed noses with his new apprentice before wrapping his tail around his shoulders and padding back into the throng.

At last Leopardstar turned to the final kit awaiting her apprenticeship: Tempestkit stood with her soft, kit-fluffy fur spiked and her bright gray-blue eyes round and glittering with excitement. Her tiny tail lashed over the ground and her ears were pinned forward, waiting almost rather impatiently for Leopardstar to begin. Leopardstar smiled to herself, resisting the urge to laugh at the young kit's enthusiasm which pulsed like a heartbeat from every hair on her pelt.

"Tempestkit." Leopardstar lifted her head and fixed her gaze on the tiny black kitten as she spoke; Tempestkit met her leader's proud amber eyes with an unwavering gray-blue stare of her own. "Tempestkit," Leopardstar repeated, her tail-tip flicking, "You are a fierce and quick young cat, a promising warrior. You are so promising, in fact, that I have decided on a very special cat to mentor you." Tempestkit's blue eyes widened at this and her tail began to lash even faster, whipping over the ground in silent, jet-black strokes.

Leopardstar forced herself to refrain from laughing.

She blinked. "I, Leopardstar, leader of RiverClan, shall be your mentor." Leopardstar leaned down toward her new apprentice who had frozen in either surprise or downright joy. "Until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Tempestpaw. I shall do my best to shape you into a warrior RiverClan can be very proud of."

Leopardstar bumped her nose lightly against Tempestpaw's muzzle and the young black she-cat just grinned under her new mentor's gaze. Raising her head, Leopardstar heard Dapplepaw and Pouncepaw, the eldest of the apprentices, start up the cheering of the new cat's names.

"Tempestpaw! Stripedpaw! Stonepaw!"

Soon the rest of the apprentices took up the call and soon after that the whole Clan joined in, some of the three kit's closest kin coming forward to brush muzzles with them and congratulate them. One of the first, Leopardstar saw, was their proud and smiling aunt, Mothwing. Duskface, their mother, and Mistyfoot, both Duskface's mother and Clan deputy, soon joined her and following them came the whole rest of the Clan.

Leopardstar smiled proudly at her Clan, feeling pride swell within her as she saw them welcome the next generation of RiverClan, their future. But there was one cat, one of the closest to the three kits, that Leopardstar was wary of.

His dark pelt was rippled with stripes, and hard, powerful muscles lay beneath his thick, handsome fur. Two ice-blue eyes glittered from the dark-furred shape of his head and his white chest blazed out from the rest of his coat. He stood right next to his two sons and his one daughter, smiling at them a warm smile of pride and joy.

But Leopardstar could see past that. She could see past that phony expression of love, and she could see the hunger, the lust... the lust for power.

Flicking her tail to Mistyfoot as to tell her to settle the apprentices into their new den, Leopardstar turned away from the RiverClan cats that thronged the clearing of their water-protected camp and instead padded toward the quieter corner of the small island where a thick outcrop of small stones and reeds lay, indicating her den.

Feeling the reeds brush past her smooth, golden dappled pelt, Leopardstar slipped quietly into the cool shadows of her den, protected by an overhang of smooth granite rock, and settled into the far back corner where a nest of thick moss and bracken lay. There she stayed, with her head on her paws, her amber eyes staring forward and her thoughts wandering, wondering about that dark tabby that perhaps still stood outside the den, standing over his three kits, each of them now apprentices.

Allowing her mind to wander, Leopardstar briefly let another dark tabby image come to mind; this one was similar to the tabby out in the clearing, only he looked much broader, more scarred, and he had shining amber eyes instead of ice-blue ones. There was not a single hair of white on his pelt, not one.

But with this image, bad memories of blood and bones begin to fill Leopardstar's mind and she quickly pushed the picture away. But the picture of that young cat out in the clearing still stayed and, though nothing he had done yet had ensured he would end up like his father, Leopardstar was not so sure she could trust him, even though she had once appointed him deputy. But his short term of deputyship had been appointed out of pressure and uncertainty; at the time, the young, strong tabby warrior had seemed the most likely choice to replace Mistyfoot who had, to all her Clanmates later surprise, not been killed but had only been caught in a Twoleg trap and, with the help of a group of brave ThunderClan cats, had soon been returned to the forest and had afterward taken back her rightful place as deputy once again.

_No_, Leopardstar thought as she began to grow drowsy. _Nothing he has done yet has proven him to be like his father. Nothing he has done yet._


End file.
